Treasure
by Authenti
Summary: Tander saves an odd Charmander from a storm at sea. They quickly become friends, but both of them have a lot to learn about what real treasure is. ! Will be going through as much of the story as I can, some changes, but a lot of spoilers later on. !
1. Chapter 1

She felt a strange sensation, like her thoughts were being pulled two different ways. Scenery flashed past, too quickly to view properly. She felt something bite her hand, and let out a cry, trying to shake off the Sableye. Her grip on her friend's hand faltered.

"No! Hold on! We're almost-"

"I can't!"

Her hand slipped, the Sableye's teeth letting go of her as she thrashed her arm wildly and plummeted down through the atmosphere. A horrible lurch in her stomach; a sharp pain as she hit the water with a splash and tasted the salty tang of seawater in her mouth.

She swam towards the surface, gasping in air and trying to keep afloat, but there was some kind of undercurrent that was dragging her down. She heard a cry of surprise and something took hold of her tail…

She had a tail?

The Charmander passed out on the shore.

***

"…Lo…" The voice swam into her head as if she were hearing it from under a pillow. "…Hello…?" She tried to make sense of it, and failed. "Hello, are you awake?"

"Nnn… Le'me lone…"

"What? Come on, wake up. It's a wonder you're still alive."

All at once, she began to hear a faint drumming in her head, like some kind of marching beat. She sat up groggily, feeling a little better. "Uhn. What?"

The Piplup in front of her looked relieved, and offered its flipper. She took it and allowed it to help her to her feet.

"You fell unconscious. There was a really nasty storm last night, and I dunno why, but you were in the sea out by Sharpedo Rock!" It laughed nervously and backed off to give her some space. "Why isn't your tail lit, though? I thought a Charmander normally died if its tail went out."

She glanced over her shoulder at the odd little reptilian tail that was stuck out awkwardly from the base of her spine. The sight of it worried her for some reason, and she felt a rush of heat flow to the tip of it, which caught fire like someone had struck a match. The flame dwindled into a steady glow, and she felt a lot better for it.

"Guess it was a fluke. Either way, how are you feeling?"

She opened her mouth to reply, and found that she had a different set of teeth. This threw her for a moment, but she gathered herself quickly.

"Uhn, better. I think." She took a delicate step forwards on her new feet, the small claws giving her a good grip on the floor. "Nn… this is new."

"What's new?"

"I was a human, you see." The Piplup gave her a sceptical look. "No, I was. And I was very happy with being a human, and suddenly I'm a Charmander and I'm not sure quite what to make of it."

"Let's… let's just start with your name. I'm Tander." They shook hands (flippers? Claws?) and she tried to think of a name. The drumming sound got louder.

"Do you hear that?"

"What? The rushing sound is the sea. We're in Beach Cave."

"No, no… Uhn… the drums." Tander frowned. She tried a different tack. "I hear drums. Like, music. But without the music. Just the drums."

"Music without the music, huh?" Tander sighed and rubbed his eyes with both flippers tiredly. "I can't help you. I don't hear anything. But… your name. What's your name? Try to concentrate."

"I don't know," she said simply, and found her foot beginning to tap restlessly in time with the beat. "Make one up."

"What?" Tander looked vaguely annoyed, and took a step back. "Did Koffing put you up to this?"

"I don't know any Koffing." The Charmander glanced around, found the exit, and headed out onto the beach. "And if you don't believe me, then you can bugger off." Tander hesitated, then ran after her.

"Okay! Okay, I'll make one up. But tell me if it suits you."

"Try to make it something music-related. And don't name me after a band or a song. I hate it when trainers do that to their Pokémon. It's just embarrassing."

The Piplup followed her to the middle of the shore, watching her chase the waves. "Well, you seem kind of relaxed. How about Oracio- oh. Not after a song, huh."

"What's Oraci… whatever?"

Tander turned to the sea, watching the waves with a faraway look in his eyes. "Oracion is a song my godfather used to play to me with a grass whistle. He said he learnt it when he crossed the Border and lived in a human city for a while."

"Wait, wait. What's the Border?"

Tander tilted his head to one side, confused. "You don't know? It's the crossing point between the human lands and the Pokémon lands. It's really, really far to the East." He looked happy all of a sudden, like he had just discovered something important. "I get it. You really _are _a human! Only the Pokémon know about the Border, so it's only natural that a human wouldn't understand." He approached her and offered a flipper. "It's so cool to finally meet an actual human! Even if you are a Charmander, you still count. I think. You have to tell me everyth-"

"Slow down! I don't remember anything. All I know is that I was a human. I don't remember more than that. I'm sorry." Tander looked disappointed, but she shook his flipper again anyway. "Anyway, I kind of like the name Oracion. But it sounds kind of masculine."

"Then how about Oracia?"

The Charmander heard the drums' tempo change, sliding into a cheerful rhythm that was very different from the marching version she'd previously heard. The name had triggered something, and it felt good.

"Oracia." She said it again, liking the feel of the word, and grinned, her foot tapping again. "I don't care that Oracion is a song. Oracia is perfect. From now on, my name will be Oracia!"

Tander smiled at her, pleased. "I guess that makes us…"

"Friends? Of course! Nice to meet you, Tander. And thanks for last night. I was really in trouble there."

"Ahh, you're welcome. Anyone would have helped if they could. Hey… listen. You're a human, so you might know more than us Pokémon about this. Have you ever seen this symbol before?" Tander ran over to Beach Cave as he spoke, and she followed. He produced an object from a natural alcove in the rock, worn away by the sea into a shelf-like shape. Oracia took it as he offered it to her, and examined it carefully.

It was a strange rock – it looked like someone had cut around a section of concrete and there was some hard-packed soil underneath that had come away with it. The flat rocky top of it was covered in an elaborate symbol.

"…No…" she replied, after a while; "…but I sort of recognise it. It reminds me of a Ho-Oh's wings and plume, repeated to make a pattern."

"A Ho-Oh?"

"It's a legendary bird that's said to be the guardian of the skies." She was about to hand the object back to Tander, but something crashed full-force into her back, and she fell against him instead, the relic knocked out of her hands and skidding across the floor face-down.

Oracia leapt up immediately, outraged, and found herself face-to-face with a floating, purple Pokémon that grinned at her slyly.

"A Koffing? What business do you have pushing me like that?" The tempo in her head became faster and louder, as did her heartbeat.

"Clear off, kid," he smirked, dashing forwards and snatching up Tander's possession in his mouth. "Shee you later, chicken," he said, muffled by the rock, and headed into the cave before either of his two victims could react.

It was only now that Oracia realised he had someone with him – a Zubat, looking uncomfortable.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" he called, wings beating furiously against the air to catch up with Koffing. Tander got to his feet and, downcast, stared vacantly after them.

"My… My Relic Fragment…"

"Well, aren't you going to get it back?"

Tander wiped his eye with a flipper, willing himself not to cry, and took on what he hoped was a confident stance. "I-I sure am! That Relic Fragment means everything to me!"

"That's the spirit!" Oracia grinned and set off into the cave. It took Tander a second or two to realise she'd moved, and hurried after her.


	2. Chapter 2

Instinct made Oracia leap out of the way of an oncoming splash of mud. The Shellos narrowed its eyes at her, trying again, and hit her square in the face. She staggered backwards, pawing at her eyes in dismay, and heard a thud as Tander came to the rescue with a Pound attack while she recovered.

"Are you okay? You've got to be more careful. Pokémon have been going crazy recently with the natural disasters. It's hard to know who to trust."

"Why did it attack me?" She wiped the mud from her eyes and glared at the unconscious Shellos.

"Like I said, the environment is suffering, and it's making Pokémon go crazy all over the place. They usually calm down when you hit 'em hard enough," he chuckled, "but it's only a matter of time before you run into another one."

"Can't they just talk it over like the rest of you? I mean, us?" It was hard to adjust to being a Pokémon.

Tander sighed. "It isn't that simple. It's like their only instinct is to attack. There's no time for talking."

Oracia followed Tander along a series of sea-worn passages in the cave. The occasional encounter with a Corsola or a Kabuto made Oracia uneasy. She was terrible at fighting like this – she hated enclosed spaces, she hated water Pokémon, and she hated the dark. Luckily, her tail-flame took care of the last part by lighting the way, but the rest was unsolvable.

"Look! Up ahead!" Tander pointed at a faint glow, and Oracia took his flipper and dragged him towards it.

"I'm not staying in this gloomy place a moment longer," she panted, bursting out of the dark passage and into a sandy room that seemed to have water all around it, making an island in the centre. Koffing and Zubat were there, facing the light source – a horizontal break in the wall where the sea water had broken through. The Relic Fragment was lying to one side, discarded for the moment while they gathered their wits. Oracia skidded to a halt and back-pedalled down the passage, pushing Tander with her.

"Guess it's a dead end," Koffing mused, annoyed.

"Yeah..."

"This is all your fault. If your dumb echo-whatever actually worked properly then we'd be outta here by now."

"It's called 'echolocation'." Zubat turned away and landed on the sandy floor, wings curled about his body and tail stuck jauntily in the air. "And it's working just fine. I found a sort of exit, didn't I?"

Koffing turned on him angrily. "Yeah – an exit for water and Budew, maybe! We can't fit through there without swimming, and neither of us can swim. You screwed up, Zubat."

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

Oracia decided now was the time for an entrance, and stamped out into the middle of the sandy island with a growl.

"Hey, look! It's chicken and penguin! What're you doing here, chumps?" Koffing ignored his anger towards Zubat and tried to look threatening instead. Tander resisted the urge to hide behind his Charmander friend and took a shaky step forwards.

"W-we're here to get back that Relic Fragment that you stole from us!"

"Woah-ho-ho! You wimps? I figured you'd at least ask Magnezone to send someone, but you actually followed us yourselves!?"

"You weaklings are gonna get thrashed!" Zubat rose into the air with a few quick wingbeats.

Tander whimpered and backed off, but Oracia held her ground.

"Oh yeah? Well, thrash _this!_" She felt an unusual heat in the back of her throat, and lifted her head, feeling it rush up into her mouth. When she opened her jaws, burning fragments of fire flew out and hit Zubat, knocking him backwards into the wall. The critical hit had knocked him out within seconds, and he fell into the sea water below. "Tander, backup please!"

"Not so fast!" Koffing loosed a powerful Poison Gas attack, and Oracia's next Ember attack died in her throat as she coughed violently, pain beginning to seep into her lungs. Tander rushed forwards and leapt up, whacking Koffing with his flipper. "Ouch! You're gonna pay for that!" The Pokémon tackled Tander, sending him skidding backwards until he fell onto his back and struggled to stand up.

Oracia blinked the tears out of her eyes as she waved off the gas, dashing forwards with her claws glinting. It was over in seconds. Koffing fell to the floor with a thud, groaning, and spat sand out of his mouth.

"Ugh… Take it! Take the stupid thing, we didn't want it anyway! It's just a brick covered in chalk!" Koffing shook himself and rose once more into the air, charging past the two Pokémon and out of the cave.

Tander ran immediately over to his precious relic, picking it up and inspecting it all over for damage. Oracia, however, approached the water.

"Uh-oh."

"What is it?"

The Charmander waded into the water, wincing at the cold of it, and then dove forwards with a splash. Tander yelped and ran over, staring at the water. Why had she done that!?

She emerged a moment later with the limp form of Zubat clutched to her chest, and hurried back to shore to lie him carefully on the sand. Her tail, doused by the water, hissed and spat as it speedily evaporated the water and burst into flames again.

"Have you no instinct!? You're a fire-type! You should have let me do it!"

She paid no attention and instead shook Zubat gently. There was no response. "Tander, you were all the way over there. It'd have taken too long to explain. Come on, please…" This last sentence was aimed at Zubat, but he remained motionless.

"Move aside." The Piplup pushed her out of the way and knelt down, holding his head next to Zubat's mouth. "He's breathing."

Oracia sighed in relief and collapsed backwards into a sitting position. "Thank Palkia."

"What's a Palkia?"

"'Nother legendary."

"Oh."

Zubat suddenly exploded into a coughing fit, sitting up with his wings on the floor for support. "Agh… Wha…"

"I'm sorry! I knocked you into the water by accident!"

"What the – why!?"

"You and Koffing attacked us, remember?" Tander scowled at him. "You're lucky Oracia realised in time, or you'd still be drowning."

"Great. Saved by a penguin. This is just what I need. The boss is gonna kill me…"

"Nu-uh," the Charmander grinned, "I was the one that jumped in." Zubat ignored her. "It wasn't very deep…"

He merely fluttered into the air and left them there. Tander glared after him.

"Go on, then! Run away! All she did was, I dunno, _save your life!_"

Oracia stood up and put her hand on the Piplup's shoulder. "He doesn't believe you. He probably thinks you're just pulling his, er… wing."

"What? Why?"

"Well, would you believe a Charmander jumped into the water?" She grinned.

Tander considered this. He didn't know an awful lot about Charmanders, or their habits when it came to water. He decided to change the subject. "…Look, I have a question for you. Would you… would you form an exploration team with me?"

"Form a what-what with who?"

The Piplup laughed nervously. "Ehh… An exploration team is a group of Pokémon who go looking around in places no one's been before. They also find lost items and sometimes even save lives! It's a very noble position…"

"Do you get paid?"

Tander blinked at this sudden question, the simplicity of it knocking him off guard. "Uh… It depends on the mission. There's a lot of treasure involved."

"But you do get stuff out of it?"

"Well, yeah."

"I'm in." She smiled at him and shook his flipper diplomatically. He looked overjoyed. He'd been trying to form a team for years. And now that he had the chance…

It was a great feeling – even if his partner was a little loopy.


End file.
